Composed Ireland brush Scotland aside

Ireland extended Scotland’s winless streak by scoring four tries to record a convincing 32-14 Six Nations victory in a spirited match at Lansdowne Road on Saturday.

Defeat for Scotland was their sixth in a row and left them facing yet another ‘wooden spoon’ decider away to fellow strugglers Italy in Rome next weekend.

The injury-hit Irish put the disappointment of squandering an 11-point half-time lead in last week’s 17-17 draw away to France behind them as they outscored Scotland four tries to one.

This defeat, which meant Scotland had won just two out of 14 Six Nations matches under coach Andy Robinson, was compounded when Lee Jones was carried off on a stretcher in the 62nd minute after being seemingly knocked out cold by charging opposing wing Andrew Trimble.

Scotland took an early 6-0 lead courtesy of two Greig Laidlaw penalties against an Ireland team missing both Brian O’Driscoll and Paul O’Connell in a Championship match for the first time since 2001.

But Ireland hit back through stand-in captain Rory Best’s 14th minute try which came from a planned blindside move at an attacking line-out.

Best, who’d already seen one line-out throw go astray, found big lock Donnacha Ryan – in for injured captain O’Connell – and the second row fed Peter O’Mahony.

The flank, a late call-up after Sean O’Brien was ruled out, passed back on the blindside and Best, equalling Keith Wood’s record of 58 caps as an Ireland hooker, brushed aside Scotland scrumhalf Mike Blair’s tackle for a try in the left corner.

Scotland wing Sean Lamont tried to disrupt the conversion by charging off his line and kicking the ball before Sexton had started his run-up but Sexton landed the difficult kick at the second attempt to give Ireland a one-point lead before his penalty made it 10-6.

The Scots had plenty of possession and tried to create a try by opting to kick a couple of penalties for five metre line-outs rather than go for goal, but their attack was far too lateral and the Irish defence managed to absorb plenty of pressure.

Ireland escaped a yellow card from New Zealand referee Craig Pollock after infringing repeatedly at the breakdown and when Laidlaw did go for the posts his third penalty cut the hosts’ lead to 10-9 on the half hour mark.

But an increasingly open game then yielded three tries in the final six minutes of the first half as Ireland turned round 22-14 in front.

The hosts won a penalty from the restart and took a quick tap and go.

Recalled scrumhalf Eoin Reddan, in for the injured Conor Murray, cleaned up untidy ball and, sliding under one attempted tackle and scrambling on the turf, somehow forced his way over for an unlikely try.

Sexton addded the conversion and Ireland were 17-9 ahead.

Scotland, however, hit back when lock Richie Gray scored his first Test try with a fine solo effort, standing up Best and Reddan before beating fullback Rob Kearney with a huge dummy.

Laidlaw’s conversion hit the post but, at 14-17, Scotland were back in the match.

However, defensive errors have cost Scotland dear all tournament and Ireland regained the lead as the clock ticked past 40 minutes.

Flank Stephen Ferris grabbed line-out ball and Best carried on the movement.

Kearney squandered an overlap but, after the ball went to the blindside, Trimble, who had come across to the right wing, stepped inside Jones’s challenge. Sexton missed the conversion but Ireland still had a two-score lead.

Ireland nearly extended their advantage in dramatic fashion when Sexton cross-kicked a penalty regathered by wing Tommy Bowe, but he was held up by centre Graeme Morrison before touching down and ITMO Giulio de Santis ruled him guilty of a double movement.

No points had been added in the second half until, with eight minutes left, Sexton kicked a penalty to put the result beyond doubt.

Scotland were then reduced to 14 men when Max Evans was yellow-carded for tackling opposing centre Keith Earls off the ball before Irish replacement back Fergus McFadden’s try four minutes from time wrapped up victory.

Man of the match: Big lock Donnacha Ryan ensured that Ireland did not miss Paul O’Connell whilst stand-in skipper Rory Best and fullback Rob Kearney both had good games but our award goes to destructive No.8 Jamie Heaslip who made an impact in the set-pieces and open play to keep Scotland on the back foot.

Moment of the match: Ireland scored four good tries but the sight of big Richie Gray stretching his legs before selling Kearney a dummy to get over for his team’s only five-pointer of the match was a definite highlight.

Villian of the match: There were none.

The scorers:

For Ireland:

Tries: Best, Reddan, Trimble, McFadden
Cons: Sexton 3
Pens: Sexton 2

For Scotland:

Try: Gray
Pens: Laidlaw 3

The teams:

Ireland: 15 Rob Kearney, 14 Tommy Bowe, 13 Keith Earls, 12 Gordon D’Arcy, 11 Andrew Trimble, 10 Jonathan Sexton, 9 Eoin Reddan, 8 Jamie Heaslip, 7 Peter O’Mahony, 6 Stephen Ferris, 5 Donnacha Ryan, 4 Donncha O’Callaghan, 3 Mike Ross, 2 Rory Best (captain), 1 Cian Healy.
Replacements: 16 Sean Cronin, 17 Tom Court, 18 Mike McCarthy, 19 Shane Jennings, 20 Tomas O’Leary, 21 Ronan O’Gara, 22 Fergus McFadden.

Scotland: 15 Stuart Hogg, 14 Lee Jones, 13 Max Evans, 12 Graeme Morrison, 11 Sean Lamont, 10 Greig Laidlaw, 9 Mike Blair, 8 David Denton, 7 Ross Rennie, 6 John Barclay, 5 Jim Hamilton, 4 Richie Gray, 3 Geoff Cross, 2 Ross Ford (captain), 1 Allan Jacobsen.
Replacements: 16 Scott Lawson, 17 Euan Murray, 18 Alastair Kellock, 19 Richie Vernon, 20 Chris Cusiter, 21 Ruaridh Jackson, 22 Matt Scott.

Referee: Chris Pollock (New Zealand)